For more information on what’s new, go to the Find It Fast bar now at the top of every page. You can also use Advanced Search to locate all the laws that come into force on particular day.

Some laws are more significant than others, in that they set out enduring legal principles and frameworks that affect a large part of the Australian community. Among the most significant laws on ComLaw are:

Australia's ten Territories are home to over half a million Australians. Each territory has different legal origins, and a different relationship with the Australian Government. Choose the territory you are interested in for details of its laws and governance:

In the past, the Australian Government has also administered territory in Nauru, New Guinea and Papua. These territories have since become the independent nations of Nauru and of Papua New Guinea.

For more information about how Australia acquired its external territories - that is, all territories except the ACT, the NT and Jervis Bay Territory - please see Alan Kerr's book A Federation In These Seas.

*these two territories are jointly administered and are also known as the Indian Ocean Territories (IOTs)

ComLaw contains a huge amount of current and historical information - but it does not cover ALL sources of Australian law. To browse other sources of Australian law, choose the jurisdiction and type of information that interests you:

Many jurisdictions are working together to harmonise their legislation, and harmonised or 'model' laws have been developed and enacted on more than 80 issues. A list of the issues and associated Acts is available from the Australasian Parliamentary Counsel’s Committee website.